It is often said that humans are capable of both the best and the worst. The human condition is endowed with the capacity to express and act in many forms of kindness, giving rise to displays of affection, empathy, and solidarity. Expressions of evil are the other side of the coin: wars, violence, xenophobia, sadism... Examples of cruelty are almost endless, with unjustifiable and difficult-to-count current manifestations. The systematic genocide practiced by Israel in Palestine is the most prominent example right now, but so too is the type of warfare waged by Putin's Russia in Ukraine, Trump's degrading treatment of immigrants in America, Mazón's excuses as a deadbeat in Valencia, or the abandonment of the elderly in Madrid's nursing homes. We are not talking about mistakes or unforeseen circumstances, nor about collateral damage, but about the behavior of people who are unconcerned about the suffering and death of others or who, as in the Israeli case, even seem to openly enjoy it. Entire groups are dehumanized and subjected to extreme violence until they are annihilated, in an industrial and organized manner. Human groups stripped of their rights and their status as subjects, mere objects to be destroyed.
History tells us that alongside the knowledge and collective efforts that have led to the progress of humanity, there are immense expressions of barbarity. We always seek, even in the most extreme and execrable cases, some causality, the reasons behind the most inhuman behaviors. Certainly not to justify them, but to try to understand them by placing them within an origin and context that would have generated conflict. Violence, and even dehumanization, usually has roots, however repugnant they may seem to us. What surprises and overwhelms us is when extreme violence, the infliction of pain, or murder have no explanation and seem to be practiced absolutely gratuitously, just because. There are good examples of this in film and literature: A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess's novel, adapted for the screen by Kubrick. But it was fiction. Amoral individuals devoid of any notion of right and wrong, capable of killing for pleasure without any filter or remorse. Human life as something that can be destroyed and annihilated at will. It's not just, or even primarily, about psychopaths or people with serious mental disorders, but about seemingly ordinary individuals who, when given the opportunity to act anonymously, express this impulse in an unrestrained way.
The Milan Prosecutor's Office has opened an research on human hunts that took place during the siege of Sarajevo. Between 1992 and 1996, hundreds of wealthy people paid a considerable sum to go and practice as snipers and kill innocent people, including the elderly and children, in a kind of safari that consisted of shooting down frightened civilians. These "tourists" had nothing to do with the painful and bloody conflict, and nothing connected them to Bosnia. They simply had a magnificent opportunity to unleash their most basic and savage impulses. The whole thing seems to have been well organized by some kind of agency that did packs The trips involved traveling through the city of Trieste and consisted of transportation, equipment, weapons, and the collection of children, with the promise of a return to normalcy after the experience. It is alleged that the clients were businessmen and professionals who enjoyed hunting, using weapons, and releasing tension through acts of cruelty. They were willing to pay up to €100,000—or its equivalent—and a bonus when the victims were children. The investigation is being conducted in Italy, but it appears that people of other nationalities are involved, including Spaniards.
It is worth remembering that the siege of Sarajevo was one of the most brutal episodes of the Bosnian War. Life became impossible for the people in the besieged city. In addition to the bombings, the result of the actions of a multitude of snipers in the service of Serbia and—as we now know—also of amateurs experimenting with weapons, the city suffered greatly. goreAround 10,000 people died, including 1,500 children, and more than 55,000 were wounded by gunfire. Eduard Limonov, the Russian writer and activist, admits in Emmanuel Carrère's fictionalized biography that he enlisted in the Serbian ranks to experience the adrenaline rush of this practice. However, it seems this was not an isolated case. There was a structured and commercialized tourism product.
Words and adjectives fail to describe it. It goes far beyond condemning the organizers and participants. Even if those responsible are prosecuted, it won't be enough to erase the shame that this was possible. It surpasses any dystopian vision of nihilism, amorality, and the human condition. It is the reenactment ofThe heart of darknessThere isn't enough contempt, nor enough laws, to condemn him. Can we still believe in the capacity for progress in human societies after expressions like these?
